icon Tony Adkins, affectionately dubbed Big Tony, died at the age of 64 on Easter Sunday while on a rugby tour, with his passing confirmed by family on social media. The bodyguard and actor had worked closely with the judge for eight years. His cousin shared a heartfelt message and an image online: "It is with great sadness my family would like to announce that my Cousin Big Tony, ex bodyguard, passed away on Easter Sunday while on a Rugby Tour. He was a loveable Rogue and will be missed very much, RIP Big T."

Hammersmith and Fulham RFC also honoured Big Tony with words of remembrance on their website, stating: "It is with immense sadness that the club pays tribute to a true gent and great Hammer, Tony Adkins, who passed away whilst on tour with the Club in Poland on Easter Sunday." Whenever The X Factor auditions became chaotic or emotions ran high, it was bodyguard Tony who often stepped in to escort boisterous contestants out of the rooms. Reflecting on his time working on The X Factor alongside Simon Cowell, Tony had spoken about the music mogul, praising his character, reports .

He once revealed: "Simon was so laid-back and a very nice guy. He was generous, too. Whenever the show finished - and at Christmas - you'd get an envelope as a thank you. The last one I got had £700 stuffed in it."

Continuing his insights, Tony remarked: "He's a very private person. He doesn't give much away. You never see him drunk or out of control. Simon is vain - he does his hair all the time.

"If there are five breaks in filming then Simon will do his hair five times. And I think he has about 20 identical T-shirts. I remember once he had a hole in one, so he just reached into a bag and pulled out another from a big pile."

He also shared insights about the other judges, including Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole.

"Louis goes around saying, 'Hello, hello hello,' all the time, always up for a laugh. Cheryl's pleasant, and Dannii's really laid-back and will talk to anyone," he disclosed.

"All the judges used to get on but they'd wind each other up, too. If Simon thought Louis was being mean about an auditionee he'd say, 'Louis, go and apologise,' but Louis would refuse. So Simon would ask him again to say sorry but Louis would just say no.

He added: "And they'd just carry on like that, winding each other up. But they were really good friends."

He worked closely with Simon Cowell and was a frequent face on The X Factor in its heyday, having joined the TV judge's team during the first series of Pop Idol in 2001.

Adkins will be remembered by viewers of the ITV talent show for being the tough guy called in to defuse situations when auditions got heated, escorting contestants from the room away from the judges.